I received this cigar with a heap of others as part of a sampler pack. They were very well and securely packaged inside with a small humidification bag to ensure they arrived in good condition. After examining each cigar singly, I discovered that they arrived in good condition, and outwardly at-least, look like finely made cigars. They also have quite a strong a pleasent aroma of rich tobacco. However, some warning bells began to ring shortly after lighting up.

The weak and flakey ash, and the fact that the cigar burned a little quickly with a bit of hissing and popping along the way, suggested to me that this was probably a cigar that had a core made with short-filler tobacco, instead of the long-filler used in premium cigars. However, this assumption was not entirely accurate. Jim Krebs from cigar.com has since let me know that the filler of all the cigar.com house blends are a mix of short and long filler tobacco, and they are entirely rolled by hand. This is partly re-assuring, but I still have reservations about the internal construction of these brand-name cigars. I will, however, note that the service I got from cigar.com was generally excellent.

Anyway, the main question is, “how is it to smoke?” The first flavours I noticed were of sweet leather. This was the predominant taste for the first third of the cigar, after which very pronounced aromatic, floral and perfume -type overtones became apparent. The last third was again dominated by a noticeable “damp leather” taste which I found pleasant and nostalgic. I also detected some unexpected hot peppery notes towards the end. The smoke become noticeably more bitter as it neared the nub.

Does it really taste like a Cuban cigar? That’s a hard question to answer, as I haven’t smoked every Cuban cigar on offer, and to me they all taste a little different anyway. I would say “not really”. I haven’t experienced that strong hit of perfume-type tastes in any Cuban I’ve tried yet.

All in all, this cigar was a pleasent surprise, despite the lack of a brand-named band and questionable internal construction.

To give it such a high score – well inside the range of what I’ve given some real Cuban cigars I’ve sampled – might seem ridiculous to some seasoned cigar smokers; and perhaps it is. But I guess I have to say what I really think, and that’s my own opinion. Ignoring  a few question marks above the internal construction of the cigar, and putting all pretentiousness to the side, if I’m going to be honest about the experience, I would have to say that this was actually a very enjoyable and flavorful cigar to smoke.

I’ve had a few of these cigars in the last couple of weeks. The first one came in a dark, mossy green coloured tubos and featured a modern, stylish red and gold band. Later, I got them in the older (and for my money, nicer), silver tubos and it had a very old-styled, matt-brown band. Minus the packaging, they are both the exact same cigar.

The stick itself is quite nicely built with some small veins and a few bumps in the wrapper, but nothing too bad. It’s a medium-brown colour and has an alluring sweet aroma with hints of toffee and aromatic herbs.

The opening few draws reveal a full bodied smoke with dry, harsh characteristics and herbal undertones which I didn’t find to be particularly pleasant.

About a quarter of the way in, the flavour improved. That’s nothing to get too excited about though, and if it had got worse I would have just ditched it. Some nuttiness became apparent with hints of dry coffee, but the overall smoke was still plagued by an unpleasant herbal characteristic that I could only liken to cheap hemp leaf (I’m not a hemp-smoker, but I do know the taste).

The experience was the same with both cigars I smoked. The first one was also unimpressive, but I braved another, not only for for the sake of this review, but also to be sure that both the new and old styled packaging contained the same product. They do (differences in the wrapper colour was not as noticeable as what appears in the photographs).

Unfortunately, I don’t think this forgettable experience can be blamed on poorly kept cigars. I got them both from specialist tobacconists. The second one I got it from new stock and kept it in my personal humidor under ideal conditions for about a week before lighting it up.

I’m giving this a 3, the only saving grace is that it had an easy draw and straight burn. However, as a Habanos coming from a reputable cigar company, one can only assume that this is a taste that some people enjoy; and I note with some surprise that it has attained a decent score at cigars-review.org. I’d be interested in second opinions, but this cigar really didn’t do it for me at all.

The Coronas Senior comes in a silver, red and brass coloured tubos. It has a pleasant, aromatic scent and a smooth, straight mid-brown coloured wrapper.

I was immediately impressed by the distinct, mild flavours offered by this smoke. It’s also a difficult taste to put into words: a sweet and pleasant musty, woody, leather-type flavour. It’s a nostalgic taste … maybe the best way to describe it is “old” or “antique”. A more experienced aficionado could probably describe it much more accurately, using half the words, but that’s the best I can do. Whatever the case, it’s a very nice, unique and notably sweet flavour.

I also detected a good deal of nuttiness through the first half and some nice toffee notes in the second half.

Unfortunately, an overly tight draw restricts the score I can give on this one significantly; at times I was turning my cheeks inside-out just trying to get a decent puff out of the cigar. Perhaps surprisingly considering the tight draw, the burn was quite good. It didn’t go out at all, despite some significant breaks between draws, and it burnt straight and evenly from start to finish.

I’m curious to know if the draw problems are common with these smokes, because if it wasn’t for that, this distinctive stogie would have been much more impressive.

The slightly unusual flavour is probably not for everyone, but for some people it’s going to be exactly what they’re looking for. If you’re unfamiliar with the Partagas brand, I would highly recommend you give this cigar a try. Personally I am looking forwards to the opportunity to sample and compare another.

The wrapper is a smooth, oily medium-dark brown colour. The cigar is thick, firm and gives off the aroma of unmistakeably top-quality Cuban tobacco.

On lighting, it becomes immediately apparently that this is a full-bodied, powerful smoke. It only takes a few puffs to realise that you’re smoking something really special and quite complex.

The initial flavours I detected were capsicum notes on a lusty tobacco base. I could be wrong, but I think in the States they describe that flavour as “pepper” as this is the name they give to capsicum and chilli. In any case, the flavour I got through the first quarter was definitely that of capsicum and sweet, strong but smooth tobacco.

As the smoke progressed I found it to be an exceptionally complex experience. At times it seems as though each puff delivered a different taste and experience. These flavours ranged from capsicum to coffee, burnt toffee, cedar and musty leather.

The ash held strongly and was light-grey and white coloured.

This is an exquisitely potent, heavy and complex cigar. However, with a price tag approaching $50AUD per stick, I find it hard to recommend people go out and purchase this smoke. The plain fact is that for half the price you can find smokes that are almost as good. It’s twice the price of most other premium cigars, and I can’t honestly say that it is twice as enjoyable an experience.

In fact, the second one of these that I’ve had in the past weeks (last night for my birthday) even presented some minor burn-problems in the first quarter. It actually went out and I had a bit of trouble re-lighting it. Not what you want after dishing out fifty bucks for a single. The first one, however, was spot-on all the way through.

Overall, there can be absolutely no doubts that this is a top quality cigar. However I could only recommend it to experienced cigar-smokers who can fully appreciate such a formidable and sophisticated smoke and get every cents’ worth of value from the experience of smoking this expensive robusto.

If, like me, you’re not rich enough to buy cigars of this expense on a regular basis, my recommendation is to savour the moment. I made the mistake of smoking my second one at about 1am after a dinner party while drinking with a few other guests, and I don’t feel I gave the cigar the attention it deserves. Don’t waste the experience by smoking it at some party after five or six drinks; take an hour to yourself somewhere quite and relaxing. Unwind and give yourself the opportunity to fully absorb everything the cigar has to offer.

Of course, if you’re a little less financially challenged, you maybe lucky enough to smoke cigars like this regularly. In which this case, if you enjoy a brawny smoke, this particular one comes with very high recommendations.

As far as robusto cigars go, this one is relatively small, both in thickness and length; but make no mistake, as with all robustos,  it’s still a chunky cigar.

The filler is tightly packed into a dark, chocolatey brown coloured wrapper. In fact, this is one of the darkest coloured cigars I’ve seen. The leaves were smooth, blemish free with some very thin veining, and the overall appearance was very straight and neat.

It comes with a  noticeably high-quality, large, glossy band and is shipped in cellophane wrappers with gold-coloured embossed writing. In short, everything about this cigar looks like quality.

Interestingly, it does not have a strong aroma; in-fact it almost has no aroma. I was also worried that the hard packing of the tobacco would cause a tight and difficult draw. These worries turned out unfounded.

The flavour was rich, creamy and sweet with a mild-medium body. Of all people, my mother detected what she called a “honey wax” flavour in the smoke. I had previously picked up some undertones of honey, and her comments only re-enforced that taste. The flavour never became harsh, stale or acrid, even when the cigar was smoked down to less than an inch in length.

My pre-light concerns about the draw were totally unfounded. It was easy, smooth and provided plenty of sweet smoke, and the burn was even and straight right down to the nub.

One thing that was immediately noticeable on this cigar was the ash. It was straight and strong, but the striking thing was that it was incredibly fine and amazingly white. I’ve never seen a whiter-coloured ash on a cigar, even $50(AUD) Cubans. The colour of the ash is a minor point, but supposedly the whiteness of a cigars ash is indicative of the quality of the tobacco used, and the ash on this cigar was very, very white.

It might not appeal to everyone’s tastes, but that’s true of anything really. Whatever you like, this is an excellent cigar.  The price-tag of $22 AUD puts it out of the range of an “everyday smoke”, but for a cigar of this quality that’s a bargain. Highly recommended.

Their compact size is also perfect for beginners or those after a quick smoke. It’s not a large cigar, but the relatively thick ring-gauge of 40, combined with the short length give it a compact, stocky kind of look. It’s certainly no robusto, but it looks a little more robust than most other panatela-styled cigars of a similar length. In fact, this one is more accurately described as a “petit corona”.

The flavours are that of aromatic Cuban tobacco and mild, sweet wood and cedar. Although the draw can sometimes be a little tight on these cigars, the burn is generally good and even, and the ash is strong, light-grey and white.

In my humble opinion, the Coronas Minor is the perfect cigar for beginners: it’s short length means that it’s not necessary to sit for an hour to finish the smoke; the flavours are mild and sweet; the relative (for it’s length) thickness of the cigar gives it an adequately fat “real cigar” appearance; it will never be overpowering; and it’s sold at an affordable price.

But that doesn’t mean experienced cigar smokers should avoid this one, it’s great little cigar at a good price. I have no qualms recommending this smoke to anyone.

However, in all likelihood it’s not as bad as you might think. The extent of the negative effect on your health from cigar smoking depends primarily on two things:

1. The amount of smoke that is inhaled
2. The number of cigars that are smoked

For those who do inhale and smoke several cigars daily, the health risks approach that of regular cigarette-smokers. The extent of risk, on average, is dependent on an individuals’ smoking habits (as can be seen in the below data tables).

Do not inhale cigar smoke

So, the first tip for remaining healthy is an obvious one: do not inhale.

Unlike cigarette smoke, cigar smoke is not even intended to be inhaled. (For a thorough discussion of the inhalation of cigar smoke, see my article, Do you inhale cigar smoke?).

Smoke cigars in moderation

The second is also rather obvious, but less important: smoke cigars in moderation.

This is a “given” for most cigar-smokers, who smoke them as a hobby rather than because of addiction or habit. Although I don’t deny that they exist, I’ve never met anyone who habitually smokes (real*) cigars in the same manner as cigarettes. The majority of cigar smokers, even those who have been doing it for forty or fifty years, do not smoke more than two or three cigars per day. In fact, my guess is that the majority smoke significantly less than one cigar per day.

(* i.e. large, premium cigars. Small “cigarillos”, which are designed to compete with cigarettes are not “real” cigars, and the majority of people who smoke them do so habitually as well as inhaling the smoke.)

Cigar smoking health statistics

Below I have provided two tables of information resulting from a 1998 NCI study of cigar smoking vs cigarette smoking.

Interpreting the statistics

The statistics show the increased risk a smoker has of death caused by a select group of common smoking-related diseases when compared to a non-smoker.

As you can see in the highlighted cell on the first table, a cigar-smoker who smokes 1-2 cigars per day is only 2% more likely to die of smoking related diseases than a person who has never smoked in their life. Likewise, a cigar-smoker who does not inhale is only 4% more likely to die of smoking related diseases than a non-smoker.

Considerations

These statistics might be a little misleading if not properly considered.

For example, the first table relates only to “cigars smoked per day”, and has no relation to the second table, which relates to “self-reported depth of inhalation”.

What does this mean? It means that for the first table, the highlighted cell showing that a 2-per-day cigar smoker is 2% more likely to die of smoking related diseases is not accounting for depth of inhalation at all, only the fact that they smoke 1-2 cigars per day. Likewise, the second table that shows that a non-inhaling cigar smoker is 4% more likely to die of smoking related diseases does not account for the amount they smoke, only the fact that they don’t inhale.

In other words, the 2-cigar-per-day group may contain some people who “deeply inhale”, and the “do not inhale” group may contain some people who smoke 5+ cigars per day.

But what if you fit into the lowest-risk category for both tables, not just one or the other?

For the majority of cigar-smokers

I believe that the majority of cigar smokes do not inhale any smoke and they smoke less than 2 cigars per day. Even though it would be the most useful number, there is not a statistic recorded for those who fit into both groups. However, it’s an effortlessly logical assumption that if you fit into both groups then the statistic for “all causes of death” must be below the 4% mark for the group who do not inhale, and below the 2% mark for the group who smoke less than 2 cigars per day.

For more frequent smokers

Even for fairly heavy cigar smokers, the health risks don’t appear to be as high as one might have otherwise thought, if they don’t inhale the smoke. We can see from the above statistics that someone who smokes 5+ cigars per day (and does not inhale) is 11%-12% more likely than a non-smoker to die of smoking related causes. Considering that smoking 5+ decent-sized cigars per day would mean that one would be without a smoke for only half – or less – of his waking hours, that is probably a very surprising statistic.

Note however, that only applies for smokers who, rightfully, do not inhale. As the statistics demonstrate, someone who deeply inhales the cigar smoke is probably increasing their chances of early death by 60% or more. The data just keeps pointing to the same conclusion: do not inhale cigar smoke.

Conclusion

In my opinion, the incontestable conclusion – backed-up by scientific research by the NCI – is that those who enjoy cigars in moderation and do not inhale, are not exposing themselves to any statistically significant risk.

I also would dare a guess that the majority of cigar smokers fit into that category.

Physically, the cigar was quite good. The wrapper was a medium brown shade with only a few small veins and bumps. The stick itself was straight and even. It has a faint aromatic smell and quite a nice red and gold coloured band.

It only took a couple of draws for the welcome realisation to dawn that this was a much nicer smoke than the past two I had experienced from this company. The smoke was mild and smooth with a pleasant hint of cigar-box-cedar throughout. But it got even better yet and a touch of unexpected complexity built as the smoke went on.

In the first third, the mild cedar-ish flavours were gradually replaced by pleasant milk coffee undertones, which gradually built towards the half way point of the cigar. At this stage I began to detect very slight nutty characteristics which, in turn, increased in strength to form a surprisingly strong nuttiness which was the dominant and unmistakable taste towards the end of the cigar.

It wasn’t all sugar and roses however. The draw was slightly too tight from start to finish, and at times was severely restricted. The stick also suffered from a lopsided burn that got totally out of control through the last quarter. However, at this point I was already satisfied that overall, it was a better-than-adequate experience and was past caring to correct the burn problems as I had several times in the beginning.

This smooth, mild and unexpectedly varied little stick has certainly restored my faith in the cheaper “everyday” varieties aof the Romeo y Julieta brand, and I could certainly recommend this smoke to anyone who enjoys theses panetela styled cigars. I would have had no qualms giving this a 7 had it not been for the overly tight draw and burn problems.

As with the Coronas minor, this cigar comes in an attractive, “old world” styled cream and orange coloured tubos.

Once alight, the the cigar burnt more-or-less evenly and possesses a nice draw that provided a decent amount of smoke. The flavour was of high-quality aromatic tobacco, with not much else readily detectable apart from a faint, and not unpleasant saltiness. I got a whiff of some chocolatey or cocoa undertones towards the last quarter of the smoke, but this cigar really is mostly about its solid Cuban tobacco taste.

To be honest, I was slightly disappointed with this smoke considering the price I paid for it. In the past I remember it being an excellent experience. I had one on Christmas night, and gave out another couple as gifts which were enjoyed immensely not only by myself, but also by their recipients. The truth is though, that you can never quite accurately judge true quality on nights like that, as the festive atmosphere has just as much to do with your experience as the cigar does (probably more).

There’s no mistaking that it’s good quality tobacco and a decently-crafted cigar, but it’s not an incredibly sophisticated stick, and there’s not much else on offer but a hefty hit of cigar tobacco tastes. The only other thing I detected was a very nice burnt toffee taste about two-thirds of the way through, but this only lasted for a few puffs and was gone as quickly as it came. I can only guess that I hit an unusually sweet bit of tobacco in the filler.

In the end, it was a decent enough experience, certainly not a cigar to avoid, but for the fairly hefty price of $17.95AUD, I would have hoped for something a lot more interesting.

Cigars are an acquired taste, and it can be an intimidating thing to approach for the first time. The reality is that it’s not difficult at all. There are no right or wrong answers: the cigar tastes like whatever you think it tastes like. Only your own opinion really matters. What one person says is an absolute dog rocket, you may rank amongst your favourite stogies.

That much being said, there are a few observations that I can pass on that maybe of use to those just venturing into the hobby.

The truth is that I’m a relative novice myself; at 31 I’ve lived less than half the time that some real cigar aficionados have been smoking. Nevertheless, I have acquired some kind of taste and opinions on the subject.  I doubt I’ll be saying much that the grizzled veterans of the cigar world don’t already know, so it would be most accurate to consider this a Cigar Tasting Guide for Beginners. If you fit into that category, read on, and hopefully this article will help as an introduction to the cigar tasting experience.

Cigars taste like cigar smoke

This observation is hardly an epiphany. Nevertheless it’s something I have found a lot of people forget in their rush to experience those flavours of dry roasted arabica coffee beans and dark chocolate overtones that they may have read about in some review.

The first thing to realise is that, rather logically, burning cigar tobacco tastes like burning cigar tobacco; and if it’s a good cigar, that can be a very aromatic and enjoyable thing by itself.

While it seems to be true that the more cigars you smoke, the less you taste the “smoke” and the more you are able to pick up some other interesting tastes, don’t expect to be blown sideways by the “nuances of rhubarb pie and vanilla essence”; or whatever other flowery and purely fantastical descriptor that some over-enthusiastic aficionado has decided to apply.

Often I can’t quite put into to words the exact flavour that I am experiencing, but I can recognise that it is unique to this particular cigar, and noticeably different to some other cigar. I just lump those unrecognisable tastes together as “the tobacco flavour” belonging to that cigar and leave it at that.

You needn’t worry if you can’t taste or identify specific flavours in your smoke, that’s not a perquisite to enjoying a cigar. In any case, as you gather more cigar smoking experience and your palette matures, you will be able to pick out more varied and stronger tastes in your stogies.

Overtones, undertones, nuances, hints, etc.

As much as the natural tobacco flavour dominates, there are times when some other unique and identifiable flavour is detected along with “the tobacco flavour”. These other flavours will come in the form of “hints” and “nuances”, which are words I’m sure you’ve read a thousand times over if you’ve ever browsed through a wine or cigar magazine. Simply put, it means the flavour is slight.

I prefer to use the words “undertones” and “overtones”, which I think can be used most accurately to describe the strength of the flavour.

Overtones

An “overtone” is a flavour that, although subtle, is easily detectable and often readily recognisable. It’s a layer on top of the expected tobacco flavours and forms a significant contribution to the taste of that particular cigar at that particular stage (see Complex & sophisticated cigars below). The dominant taste will always be “cigar tobacco smoke”, so any overtones will be somewhat muted, but will still go a long way to defining the unique taste of that particular smoke.

Undertones

An “undertone” is a suggestion of “something else” in the smoke, maybe even a “feeling” of some other flavour. It’s often a barely perceptible hint that maybe tasted not with every puff, but every now-and-then, maybe even only a handful of times throughout the entire cigar. Often it’s difficult to “put your finger on it”, or to think of a suitable analogy for the taste.

While I can usually detect undertones in the cigar I am smoking, it’s not always that I experience overtones.

Nuances, hints, suggestions, etc.

These are just words used to describe a slightly detectable taste; don’t let them intimidate you, take them for their literal meaning.

Complex & sophisticated cigars

What exactly does this mean? What is a “sophisticated cigar”? Believe it or not, a “sophisticated cigar” is not one that is capable of arguing the intricate details of foreign diplomacy, or is qualified to rebuff the complex and fine computations in the science of climatology; nor is it one that imbues the smoker with that ability (although it seems that some believe that simply holding the cigar qualifies them to do so).

Just like with wine, a “sophisticated” cigar is one that offers a variety of tastes and flavours, sometimes even contradictory, and often of which seem to appear at certain stages in the smoke, only to be replaced with some other, seemingly unrelated taste a few puffs later. For the novice smoker, “confusing” might be a more apt descriptor. A more flattering assessment might be, “interesting”.

In contrast, an “unsophisticated” cigar is one that offers a level, steady and foreseeable experience from start to finish; a cigar that offers mild doses of a more “standard” range of cigar tobacco flavours such as cedar wood, earthiness or coffee.

Sophisticated is better, right?

Although it is true that the finer cigars tend to be more sophisticated, that’s doesn’t necessarily mean that complex is better. It would be untrue to say all sophisticated cigars are better than all unsophisticated cigars. It is true, however, that sophisticated cigars are usually more interesting due to the variance in tastes and flavours.

However, sometimes you might not want a complex experience. Sometimes you might prefer to sit back with an old favourite, confident in it’s ability to deliver the expected notes of woody cedar underlying the familiar scent of aromatic cigar tobacco. Whether you select a sophisticated, or an unsophisticated cigar really depends on your mood and your personal tastes.

In fact, it often happens that when I try a complex wine or cigar, I’m left so confused at the end of the experience that I’m not even quite sure if I liked it or not! Such is the nature of “sophistication”.

It is easy to imagine that hardcore cigar aficionados and regular smokers could get so bored with the “standard” kind of cigar tastes; that they start to long for something a little different and a bit surprising, so it’s easy to see why the more sophisticated smokes are generally held in higher esteem. But that doesn’t automatically make them “better”.

Just remember that smoking a sophisticated cigar, or drinking a complex wine, doesn’t make the smoker a better, more sophisticated or complex person. Like everything cigars, it’s all up to your own personal preferences.